Change Proof

Anticipate constant change in your life.

Constant change has become part of people’s lives. Uncertainty makes individuals feel anxious. In the past, often you could attribute stress and anxiety to major one-off events – a new job, a failed relationship or the onset of a health issue. You pivot with these changes; you create a plan B. Now in addition to these macro events, you constantly encounter small hiccups with your job, children and relationships. You cannot plan ahead for these micro pivots, nor can you avoid them. Cultivate a mind-set that flows with the uncertainty life offers and find opportunity in the disruption. To do this, you must develop resilience.

Many people believe that being resilient means fighting off stress and bouncing back to how their lives were before the disruption. Yet resilience takes on new meaning in the face of constant change and uncertainty – even with positive change, since that, too, causes stress. Instead of resisting change and trying to reduce uncertainty, accept change as a constant to gain a renewed perspective on stress and to become change-proof.

Become resilient by adhering to three principles: “Pause, Ask, Choose...